A uniquely Roman god, Janus was the god of beginnings and passages.

With two faces, he could always look to the future and to the past. The Romans named the month of January, the beginning of their year, after this god because it was not only a time for a new beginning, but also a time to reflect on the past year.

As I’ve looked on the past year, I feel good about what I accomplished. There is always that feeling of wishing I’d done more, but then I think of a phrase my husband often says:

“Everything has a cost.”

This coin of Janus illustrates my point. Like this coin can only be spent on one thing, you can spend time doing one thing at the expense of the thousands of other things you aren’t doing. And I had a great year! So I refuse to regret what I didn’t write. I refuse to regret what I didn’t clean or the nights we ate popcorn because I’d spent time with my kids instead of cooking. I don’t regret the time I spent with friends and family.

So here are my #WriteMotivation goals for January:

1) Write fifteen pages per week of new material.

2) Edit five hours per week.

3) Read one book per week.

4) Critique SS for my critique partner.

5) Read/crit L for my other critique partner.

Lastly, Janus held the key because he was the gateway to any passage: birth, death, travels, change, etc. This year, I hope his key unlocks some agent’s heart.